The Six Nations may be over, but various loose ends remain to be tied up. England's search for a head coach goes on, the Lions will get round to interviewing for the head coach's position in Australia next year already knowing that they want Wales's Warren Gatland, and Andy Robinson will ask himself what more he can do for Scotland.

There is also the conundrum of Ireland and Declan Kidney. Wales are an example of how the performances and results of a country's teams in the Heineken Cup can be in sharp relief to how its national side gets on in the Six Nations, but the four regions there are in a state of undress.

Ireland's opening match in the Six Nations was at home to Wales. They were leading by six points with five minutes to go and had just scored a try when Bradley Davies was in the sin-bin. It was a position Leinster and Munster would not have blown in the Heineken Cup, both adept at closing out games.

Wales and England were the only teams to emerge from the tournament in credit. France, the pre-tournament favourites, may have challenged for the title more strongly had their second-round match against Ireland not been postponed, but as their coach, Philippe Saint-André, acknowledged at the end of the tournament, the disadvantage of playing four weeks in as many weeks was offset by his keeping his players for all that time.

The fallow weekend that would have seen his squad return to their clubs for Top 14 action was taken up by the rearranged date for the Ireland match. Saint-André admitted France's campaign had been considerably below what he had expected but, unlike his predecessor Marc Lièvremont, he declined to blame his players, merely promising that next year would be different.

France provided one of the most promising newcomers in the tournament in Wesley Fofana, the centre who scored four tries in the opening four rounds and was then moved to the wing for the final match against Wales. Owen Farrell and Brad Barritt made an impact for England, David Denton and Stuart Hogg were among the few players who stood out for Scotland and Alex Cuthbert overcame a nervous start on the wing for Wales to score three tries, including the one that proved the difference with France last weekend.

Wales started boldly, scoring six tries in their opening two matches, but gradually became more defensive in their approach. They were pushed to the limit in their third match against England at Twickenham, coming back from six points down in the second half as they had done in Dublin, but in the final two rounds became preoccupied by what they saw was a different approach by referees at the breakdown.

The Wales captain, Sam Warburton, had noted before Twickenham that tackled players seemed to be getting more time before they had to release the ball when held. He wondered if referees had been coaxed into being more tolerant towards attacking sides by the International Rugby Board, but no directive was issued.

There were a few words after the opening rounds and by the time Wales played France, with the grand slam at stake, they felt it was too risky to attack from their own half, for fear of being penalised at the breakdown, and with the ball kicked from hand 88 times in the game, there was a return to the aerial ping-pong of a couple of seasons before.

Wales are a markedly different side from the one that finished the 2011 Six Nations timidly against France in Paris. A series of training camps in Poland has not only improved their physical fitness but has made them mentally tougher. They are also far more disciplined off the field: it has been a while since the last alcohol-related story involving a member of the squad.

Their self-proclaimed aim is to beat the leading southern hemisphere nations, something they have managed to do only once under Gatland, back in 2008. There were many who questioned whether Wales had made any progress in the World Cup on the basis that they had won four matches and lost three to the usual suspects: it was not an unfair verdict, but it failed to take into account what had been a marked change in attitude in a team that tended to have lapses in concentration at vital moments in tight matches.

Wales have developed strength in depth and have leaders throughout the team, but if they are to challenge Australia, where they tour this summer, New Zealand and South Africa on a regular basis, as England did in the latter years of Sir Clive Woodward's reign, they will need to look at their midfield: Rhys Priestland at fly-half had little help when it came to tactical kicking and throwing out a variety of passes.

England finished second after losing one match a year after winning the title having been beaten once. They were not the most threatening side with ball in hand, but they were a team pulling together. Whether it was enough to earn Stuart Lancaster the permanent position of head coach will be determined in the coming days, but his success has wrong-footed the Rugby Football Union.

It had envisaged appointing a figure well known in world rugby, but now has to ask itself whether that was what was required, certainly in the short erm. Order has replaced chaos but as the hosts of the 2015 World Cup, the RFU wants to assure itself that England will be more than difficult to beat.

Warren Gatland the Lions favourite … but

England are the only one of the home unions not in contention to provide the head coach for the 2013 Lions.

Contention is probably the wrong word given that Gatland, whose career straddles three of the home unions given his experience with Ireland and Wales and his four seasons in charge of Wasps, is certain to be offered the job.

The Lions want the head coach to be free of international and club commitments for a year before the tour. In Gatland's case, that would mean him missing Wales's summer tour summer tour to Australia as well as their four autumn internationals and the 2013 Six Nations.

The WRU has agreed to release Gatland for the Six Nations, which would amount to a six-month sabbatical. Given the shortage of alternatives, the Lions may have to compromise. No matter how long Gatland spends away with Wales, how neutral would the other home unions perceive him to be?

The reason the Lions want the head coach to be unattached for a year is so that he would be free to go round all four home unions, watching training sessions, talking to coaches and observing players close up. While he would find doors open to him next November, would England, Ireland and Scotland want him around during the Six Nations?

Gatland is the best qualified candidate from within the home unions given Sir Ian McGeechan's reluctance to embark on another odyssey and an acceptance by the Lions that it cannot keep turning to Bath's director of rugby.

It was the experience of Graham Henry, who was then in charge of Wales, the last time the Lions toured Australia, back in 2001, that prompted a change in policy. Head coaches in the future would ideally not be in charge of a national side but who is the alternative to Gatland?